


Baby Girl

by thegoldenkittenking (empty_cup_and_a_chipped_heart)



Series: Baby Girl [2]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Baby Fic, F/M, self indulgent fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-02
Updated: 2017-08-21
Packaged: 2018-12-10 01:30:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11681193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/empty_cup_and_a_chipped_heart/pseuds/thegoldenkittenking
Summary: He never expected to find her on top of a storage crate,  year after Rick exiled her. Or holding a baby.





	1. Baby Girl

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: This is incredibly AU and is set after season 7 sometime. Carol never found the group after Terminus and has been wandering since the Prison. And she had Daryl’s baby, so…  
> My friend gave me this idea after I was talking ~plot~ with her. Thanks.

Daryl’s making a run to one of the nearest warehouses they haven’t checked out yet. He’s supposed to look for supplies and ammo. The insurrection against Negan and the Saviors is going strong, but they always seem to be on short supply of ammo. And food. He always volunteers for jobs like this. One person is less likely to be noticed than a group and it’s easier for him to get in and out of places if he’s by himself. 

It’s desolate and looks untouched. After the trap the Wolves set at the old trucking yard, he’s become more cautious. Anything could be hiding here. He pulls up and hops out of the truck, grabbing his crossbow off the passenger seat. 

There’s broken glass on the pavement and one of the few windows has been broken.  
Immediately he’s on the defensive. There could be anyone in there. He’s inspecting the window when he hears gunshots and the sound of a crying baby. 

“Fuck.” 

Daryl jumps through the broken window, slicing his hand on the glass still attached to the window frame. He can hardly feel the cut even though it’s starting to drip blood. He runs through the warehouse following the sound of gunshots.

There are walkers surrounding one of the shipping containers, growling and snapping at whoever took asylum on top. They’re a good shot, but there too many fucking walkers for one person to handle.

Daryl cocks his crossbow, aiming at the nearest walker. It goes down in a spray of blood and brains. He reloads while another walker starts to lurch towards and grab him. The broken fingertips snag against his shirt as he fumbles with the bow, trying to get it up in time. Another gunshot rings out and his attacker goes down in a spray of blood. A bolt goes through the eye socket of another. The walkers begin to turn towards him, losing interest in whoever is on top of the shipping crate. One walker stumbles towards him, growling and snapping, and gets a knife in the skull for its efforts. Another two fall to the survivor’s gun and Daryl takes out one more with his crossbow. There are two left. Both have lost interest in whoever’s up top, and come shambling towards Daryl. He readies his crossbow-- on his last bolt but he still has his knife-- when both are taken out with two neat shots. He’s mildly impressed. 

Daryl grabs bolts from the nearest corpses, riding on an adrenaline high. Only fucking high he’ll get in this world, so of course it comes from another damn near death experience. 

The baby stopped crying and is now making grumpy snuffling noises. Daryl’s considered leaving them-- for half a second, knowing full well as soon as he sprinted in here to help them he’d bring ‘em back-- but he looks up. Ready to offer sanctuary, or what little they have these days, when he meets bright blue eyes. Familiar, haunted bright blue eyes.

It’s a heartbeat that lasts an eternity that he pauses, shocked.

“Carol?”

 

She’s climbing down the side carefully, clutching the baby to her chest, and he walks towards her. Slowly and then faster, until he’s running and holding her in his arms. One of his hands is in her hair and the other is wrapped around her waist. He’s holding her as tightly as he dares, trying not to crush the baby. She’s supposed to be dead. He convinced himself of that, otherwise he would have spent every waking hour looking for her. Daryl’s imagined dozens of gruesome ends for her, but the worst was always her alone with no one but herself. Dying without anyone to make sure it really ended, and he’d find her and have to put her down. The worst nightmares consisted of that scenario. But she’s here, alive. In his arms.

He’s terrified that she’ll disappear if he lets her go. Maybe she’s a hallucination brought on from too little sleep and too much stress and he’s like Rick and has gone off his fucking rocker. That’d be typical.

“Daryl.” Carol says, muffled by his chest. He slowly runs his fingers through her hair-- if she is a hallucination, then he’s going to try his damnedest to savor the moment. “I’m here. I am.” 

He lets out a shaky breath and runs a thumb across her cheek. The baby between them fusses, sounds a moment away from crying. Daryl loosens his hold on her and belatedly remembers he has a sliced hand. 

“Aw shit. Sorry. Got blood all over ya.” He grabs the rag out of his back pocket and wraps it around his palm, tucking in the end.

Carol shakes her head. “Don’t be. I’ve had worst shit on me.” She shifts the baby in her arms.

“Who’s this?” He asks. 

Carol stares at him for a long moment, expression unreadable. “This is Rose.” Rose stares at him with the most serious expression he’s ever seen on a baby. Especially one so fat. 

“Hey Rose.” He murmurs and strokes the little bit of hair she has. Rose is still staring at him like she can’t quite figure out who he is. 

Daryl turns back to Carol. “Should come back with me. We gotta place now. Walls, people.” She’d probably be safer out on her own. Alexandria’s in the middle of a war and he can’t promise anyone safety.

“Is it safe?” She asks. 

He can’t lie to her. But if he says no, she may not come back with him. “No.”

“Why?”

“Rick got involved in some shit. Involved the rest of us too. It’s all gone to hell.”

Carol worries her lip, thinking it over. He has nothing to offer her.

“I’ll come. I can’t-- I can’t be out there anymore.”

The relief that spreads through his system is like a high. He feels almost giddy. 

“Gotta truck out front. Ya need anything?”

“I have a few things in a car out back… Meet you in the front?”

Daryl nods and anxiously waits outside his trunk for Carol to meet up with him.  
***  
Daryl nearly drives them off the road twice. He’s so distracted by Carol being here-- alive-- that he pays little attention to what’s in front of him. Every few minutes he glances over at her, to make sure she’s still there. Carol spends the first half staring out the window-- thankfully not remarking on his shitty driving. 

“How is everyone?” she asks. 

Daryl says nothing guilt rushing through him. It’s all his fault.

“Daryl?”

“Glenn’s dead. Beth. Bob. Hershel. Lizzie. Mica. Tyreese.” The list goes on and on. Sometimes it feels like there are more dead than living.

“I’m so sorry. Poor Maggie.”

Daryl clears his throat, trying to remove the lump. “How’d ya get way up here anyway?”

Carol shrugs. “Wandered, I guess. Never really had a place in mind. I went back to the Prison two or three weeks later, and it was… destroyed. So I just wandered.”

She went back? Of course she went back. “ Governor came back and wiped us out. Luck went to shit after. ‘Til we found Alexandria.” 

“Is that where we’re going?” She asks. 

He’s thought about it. But Alexandria is in the line of fire, with Negan focusing most of his attention on the safe zone. “Nah. Goin’ to the Kingdom.” It’s closer and safer. 

“The Kingdom? That sounds…” She pauses, searching for the right word, “fake.”

“It ain’t.”  
***  
“What the fuck Daryl?” They’ve come out of Carol’s first meeting with Ezekiel. She’d kept up a façade of genuine fascination and bashfulness Daryl wasn’t even sure if she was real or not. 

“He has a goddamn tiger.’ She hisses through clenched teeth, giving one of the passing Kingdomians a bright smile as they walk passed. 

Daryl shrugs. “Shiva’s cool.”

“Daryl. A tiger. What the actual fuck is happening here Daryl?” She sounds so defeated. 

“All sorts of crazy ass shit in this world.” Not a single normal thing has happened to him in the last year. 

Daryl looks down at Rose who’s sitting in Carol’s arms. She’s staring at him, her tiny brow furrowed in concentration. 

“Think there’s something wrong with that baby.” 

“What do you mean?” Carol looks down at Rose.

“Keeps starin’ at me.” 

“It’s really just been me and her. She’s not used to other people.” Carol says.

“Huh. Where’d ya find her?” He wonders how many abandoned babies there are and his stomach twists. It’s an awful thought. Little walker snacks is what they are.

Carol’s expression changes from confusion to realization. “Daryl… She’s ours.”  
***  
Carol hasn’t seen him since her confession. After she told him that Rose was his-- how did he not realize it before?-- he walked out. Left her worried and overwhelmed by this new world with beds and showers and chocolate. 

She’s been alone since the Prison. Alone with her thoughts and guilt . Rose was a distraction from it all, something else to channel her anxiety and energy into. Let her feel something other than empty detachment. Carol never thought she’d have another child, yet here she is. One night, both tipsy enough to be brave, and months of pent up sexual tension was all it took. Both equally to blame. Once she realized she was pregnant, she returned to the Prison, ready and willing to beg for Rick to take her back in. The one time she broke down and cried was when she found the Prison to be an empty shell of what it once was. Only allowed herself to mourn for a day, until she picked herself back up and left. 

She figured DC would have some sort of infrastructure left, but instead of finding the remnants of the American government, she found Daryl. And from what Daryl said, most of her family. She isn’t sure if she’s happy or relieved or terrified to see them all again. Especially if they’re all about to die in a war Rick started.

A knock on the door startles her. Carol opens the door, hoping it’s Daryl and knowing it isn’t. A woman stands outside holding a cardboard box, looking entirely too happy. 

“Just some things to get you settled. It’s terrible to be out there, especially with the baby.”

Carol gives her a fake smile. “Thank you. This is wonderful.”

The woman beams. “You’re quite welcome. It’s lovely that you and Daryl found one another again. I always wondered why Daryl was always so sad and stand-offish, he lost his wife of course he’d be angry. Anyway I’ll leave you to rest, if you need anything just ask.”

She sets the box in Carol’s arms and is gone before Carol can explain that whatever Daryl and her are, it certainly isn’t married. A part of her knows it’s best to stop the rumor mill from grinding out more gossip, but she’s too overwhelmed and exhausted to try and even begin an explanation. She’ll deal with it later. 

She sets the box on the dresser and rifles through it. A few shirts and jeans in passable sizes for her and more onsies and cloth diapers than she knows what to do with. One is pale blue decorated with little white flowers. Sophia had one just like it. Carol shoves it underneath the mess of clothing and refuses to look at it again.  
***  
Someone’s knocking. Again. It’s late, the moon casting light across the bed. Rose is asleep in the bassinet that came with the room, content in the way that only a well-fed, changed baby can be. 

Carol opens the door, fearing another overly friendly, well-meaning individual, but instead finds a contrite Daryl. 

Suddenly, she’s overcome with the fear that he’s here to reject them. Tell her he wants nothing to do with her or the baby she sprung on him, and then leave her for good.

“Can I come in?” he asks.

She holds open the door for him, still nervous. 

He walks in and stands awkwardly in the middle of the room. Like he thought he wouldn’t even make it this far. Rose is awake and Carol can hear her cooing. Daryl’s sits at the little loveseat across from the bed, bouncing his leg repeatedly.

“Would you like to hold her?” Carol asks. 

Daryl nods. “Yeah.”

She picks Rose up and sets her carefully in Daryl’s waiting arms. 

“Hey Rosie. Nice ta finally meet ya.” He murmurs and shifts her in his arms so Rose is vertical.  
She immediately grabs a fistful of his hair and yanks.

“Shit. I mean shoot. Don’t go around and say that, kid.”

Carol lets out a soft laugh. “It’s still a while until she talks. And you never curbed your language around Judith.”

“Ain’t my kid. Don’t gotta deal with it.” 

The mood changes after that. It’s almost domestic and Carol’s so fucking happy he’s trying and willing to be with them. Feels guilty she doubted him though, she knows he’d never abandon her. But Too many years of an uninterested husband at best taught her to expect nothing. 

“Shoulda been there.” He’s holding Rose delicately, like she might shatter if he holds her to tightly. It sounds like an apology.

“It isn’t your fault.” To have Daryl there would have been wonderful. Someone to convince her that she won’t lose this child like she’s lost Sophia.

“Shoulda went looking for ya. Thought…” He trails off and shakes his head. She stands next to him, his head level with her waist, and runs her fingers through his hair. Holy shit she’s missed him.

“I’m happy you found us. Even if it’s a year later.”

Daryl leans his head against the curve of her waist and they watch Rose together. She’s looking around the room in Daryl’s arms, still holding a fistful of his hair. 

Her heart swells and it’s like falling in love with them both all over again.  
***  
Daryl’s attentive in a way that tells Carol he’s trying to make up for the four months he missed. Takes every late night diaper change and Carol has a feeling he’d nurse her if her could. He spends two weeks with them, showering them with affection and attention. Carol revels in it, knowing full well he’ll get called back to the war effort and could possibly end up dead. 

She tries her best not to think about it and focus on brand new little family unit, but it haunts the back of her mind. Daryl’s telling her bits and pieces of Negan and what he’s done, and she’s about ready to go out there and end it herself. Ezekiel-- she refuses to call him king-- discovered her ability with guns and put her on training soldiers. She doesn’t mind, it gives her something to do besides minding Rose, but part of her itches to be out there and dealing with it herself. But with Daryl out running missions, he has a chance to never make it back and Carol doesn’t want to leave Rose orphaned. So she takes the job at the Kingdom and waits for Daryl to leave.

They reach the point where his extended vacation has to come to an end. Promises to come back, something impossible but she takes it, and they stand in front of the gate, both unwilling to let the other go. Carol brought Rose with her to say goodbye, even if she has no real concept of it yet.

“I’ll miss you.” She says. Wants to beg him to stay.

“Be back later today or tomorrow. Ain’t a big thing we’re doin’.”

“I know.” 

Daryl leans down to kiss Rose on the head, narrowly avoiding her grabbing his hair.

“Nu-uh Rosie. Know what you can do with those little hell hands of yers.”

Carol laughs. “You should let me cut it.”

“And let the kid miss out on all her fun?”

Carol rolls her eyes at him. 

“I should go.”

Carol nods and decides to do the brave thing. She presses her lips against his for a split second, chaste and soft. It feels too daring for a couple who has a baby together. 

“Stay safe.” She murmurs, her forehead pressed against his. How she wishes he would stay.  
Daryl steps back from her and nods. He looks like he’s a moment away from breaking. Touches Rose’s head one more time and offers Carol one of his lopsided half smiles.

“I’ll miss ya too.” It’s the last thing he says. Signals to for them open the gate and walks out. 

Carol stays long after they’ve shut the gates. Convinces herself he can take care of himself. That he’ll keep the unkeepable promise. 

He’ll come back. 

They’ve been separated before. They always come back to each other.


	2. Very Own Rose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summary: Daryl watches Rose alone for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Set in during Baby Girl in those two weeks where these three were allowed to be domestic as fuck. So a missing scene, I guess, from Baby Girl.

Carol knows Daryl can take care of Rose for three hours. He’s a grown, adult man and is more than capable of watching their daughter. But she’s never left one of her own children in the care of someone else before. Not ever. Ed had no time for Sophia-- Carol didn’t trust him with her anyway-- and it’s been her and Rose together for so long, it feels inherently wrong to leave her with someone else. Like she’s neglecting Rose.

So she lingers, instead of arriving early to her very first lesson for target practice. Daryl notices her hesitancy to go.

“‘S’okay. Took care of Merle when he was on one of his benders. She’s gotta be easier than an pissed and high Merle.” He says, giving her a little smile. 

“I know.” Her behavior stinks of codependency and probably a hundred other disorders a shrink would love to peel apart. Knowing this doesn’t stop her from feeling worried and anxious though.

“I’m going.” She finally says. If she doesn’t go now, she’ll never leave this room. Instead she’ll find a hundred excuses why she can’t go, and Carol really does want to useful.

“See ya in a bit. Say bye to your mama, Rosie.” Daryl waves a chubby little fist in her direction.   
It’s only three hours.  
***  
Daryl has all sorts of shit planned for him and Rose today. He’s been reading baby books he borrowed from the Kingdom library and they all talk about how important it is to give your baby all sorts of stuff to make them smart. You have to give them an “enriching environment” or some shit like that. 

He might be a little nervous about being left alone with Rose for the first time. Babies are fragile, small things and he’s never felt like he can handle fragile, small things. Too easily broken.  
He’s sitting on the rug in front of the bed with Rose in his lap. They’re playing with blocks-- well, he’s stacking them and she occasionally picks one up and gums on it. 

He picks up one of the blocks and shows it to her. “This one’s got an ‘R.’ Like Rose.” She stares at him, unimpressed. He sighs at puts down the block and picks Rosie up in his arms. She’s heavy for something that looks so small.

“What’s yer mama been feedin’ you? Bricks?” He asks and removes the now soggy block from her mouth. “Or have ya just been eatin’ all the blocks?” She fusses and grabs for his hair which he narrowly avoids by shoving her rabbit into her tiny hand. Rose clutches onto it, and Daryl’s scalp is saved for another day. 

Daryl yawns and glances at the clock. “Talkin’ about eatin’ bricks, ya hungry kiddo?” He makes up a bottle and sits down on the little loveseat with Rose. She’s picky about taking a bottle so it’s always a gamble when Daryl tries to feed her. Today though, she’s hungry, greedily sucking on the nipple. 

His eyelids are growing heavy. Sleep is elusive these days. Between nightmares and Rose, a good night consists of two to three hours of sleep. His head rolls back, bumping against the wall. Carefully sets the half-empty bottle on the ground next to the loveseat, Rosie half-asleep against his chest. His eyes drift shut.

It’s Carol not Glenn, that’s the first thing he notices. She’s kneeling across from him, tears streaming down her face. Struggles against the zip ties around his wrists and calls desperately for her around the gag in his mouth, desperately trying to get to her. Negan’s taunting him, saying how he can’t save her. Could never save her. Negan raises his bat, asking him to choose. Who will he try and save today? It’s only then does he realize Rose is on the other side of Carol, crying piteously. Negan asks him to choose again, and Daryl can feel the tears rolling down his cheeks. He knows how this ends. How this always ends. Still he struggles valiantly against his restraints, sobs muffled by his gag. Negan raises his bat and then all Daryl can see is red.

He wakes with a jolt that causes Rosie to cry out. Nausea roils in his stomach and sweat beads on his forehead. He feels like shit. Nightmares are a fact of life now, but he hasn’t had one like that in a while. Uses his free hand to wipe his forehead, the other holding Rose close. She’s really crying now.

“Shhh. S’okay, Rosie. S’okay.” He murmurs against her hair, rocking her gently. Picks up her bunny with shaky hands from the floor and hands it to her. Her sobs slowly taper off, until she’s snuffling wetly against his shirt. 

Daryl needs to clear his head.  
***  
Daryl walks through the Royal Community Garden-- as the sign proudly proclaims at the gate entry. Most of it is made up of sensible plants-- vegetables, fruits, and herbs, but someone put in a small flower garden in the back. Daryl’s spent some time in the garden-- it’s soothing, especially at night-- and he needs something to clear his head. Walking in the forests of Georgia was always his cure for emotional discomfort. Bringing Rose into the woods with him is irresponsible and this is the closest thing to the woods he longs to get lost in. 

Rose looks around them, trying to take it all in. She’s calmed considerably. 

“Ya like it here to, Rosie?” He asks. They walk through the rows and he tells her about the different flora. Stresses how much her mama loves basil and grew multiple plants at the Prison.   
Points out the one scraggly aloe plant sitting in its little pot and tells her how useful it is to treat burns. She listens to him with rapt attention.

Daryl stops in the little flower section and plucks a blossom from the bush in front of him. “Look. ‘S yer namesake, Rose.” He gives her the Cherokee Rose blossom. And then regrets it. Has no idea if Cherokee Roses are good for babies to eat-- doubts it. But Rose doesn’t try to put it in her mouth, just clutches it in her little fist. Daryl takes the blossom from her and tucks it behind her ear. She looks around, as if to see what it touching her. Daryl lets out a little chuckle and presses his lips to her head. 

He meanders his way out of the garden. Carol will be back soon and he wants to be back before she gets to the room. Doesn’t want her to worry about not finding them there.

In the middle of the courtyard though, he gets jumped. A group of women descend on him like vultures, cornering him. They stand in a circle and coo over Rosie and how completely adorable she is, and oh, how old is she, and do you mind if I hold her for a moment. They pluck her out of his arms before he can say anything. 

“How old did you say she was?” One of them asks. 

 

“Uhhh… Four months.” He mutters, wanting nothing more than to have Rose back. She’s starting to fuss. 

“Well, aren’t you the prettiest girl.” Another coos at her. Rose is making the sad little snuffling sounds that only precede or follow a meltdown. 

“Should prolly take her back. Almost dinnertime.”

“Nonsense. We’re fine here. Aren’t we baby?”

Rose takes a heaving breath and starts screaming. Fat tears roll down her cheeks as she’s quickly shoved back into Daryl’s arms and the women scurry off, muttering to each other. He’s trying to calm her down.

“Bad day?” 

He turns to find Carol standing behind him, rifle slung over her shoulder. 

“Was goin’ fine ‘til they stole ‘er.” He eyes the group of women distrustfully.

Carol runs a hand over Rose’s head. “It’s alright baby.” She murmurs. Rose’s cries subside once she realizes her mother is there. Carol gets a gummy smile from Rose and her little feet kick in excitement.

“Someone’s excited to see her mama.” Daryl says and exchanges Rose for the rifle. 

“Like you aren’t.” Carol teases. 

“Always excited ta see ya. ‘Specially if yer taken Rosie.” 

Carol sticks her tongue out at him and Rose copies her movement. 

“Look at ya. Teachin’ Rose bad behavior.” 

“The rumor mill says someone taught Judith to say shit. Wonder who that was?” Carol responds deadpan. He bumps his hip into hers and smiles.

Carol smirks back and hefts Rose up a little bit higher. 

“We’ll drop the gun off at the armory and then we can get dinner.” 

He nods. “Sounds like a plan.” 

Carol smiles at him over Rose’s head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I’m opening this up to prompts, so please message me here/leave a comment or send them to me at thegoldenkittenking.tumblr.com! I’d LOVE to be prompted to write more for these three. I have a few more ideas but nothing substantial.  
> Thanks for reading!


	3. Separation Anxiety

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl returns from his mission and breakfast is shared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The direct sequel to Baby Girl   
> A/N: Ngl, I’m kinda pissed this has aquired plot?? Like this was /supposed/ to be cute and fluffy and plotless but here we are… SMH

“Shhh, baby. I know, I know. Shhh.” Carol murmurs against Rose’s head. Rose cries louder in response. Rubs a soothing hand along Rose’s back and bounces her, as Carol wears a rut in the floor. It’s been like this for almost two hours and she has a feeling she’s supposed to let Rose cry it out, but she’s never been able to leave her child and listen to them cry. One of the few times she openly defied Ed was when he told her to leave Sophia, crying alone. Earned herself a busted lip and black eye for that one, but it was better than listening to her sob her little heart out. 

“I miss him too, baby. He’ll be back soon. He will, I promise.” She says, shifting Rose to her other arm. There’s a dull ache beginning to form in her left shoulder; an old injury but holding Rose for extended periods of time aggravates it. 

“Shhhh, baby. How about we go for a walk, huh? You like being outside almost as much as your daddy.” Carol feels a twinge of guilt for bringing a screaming infant into the courtyard at three in the morning, but being out in the open air is one of the few things that has a calming effect on Rose. 

She slips quietly out of her room, the lock closing with a quiet snick. Rose is still crying but she’s beginning to calm. Or so Carol hopes.

The door to the dormitories closes behind her and she walks out to the middle of the courtyard. The night air is cool against her skin and she wishes she grabbed a sweater before coming out. 

One of the best things to come out of this world they live in is the stars. Without all the light pollution, the night sky is blanketed in tiny pinpricks of light. She loves it.   
Rose is starting to quiet, her loud sobs are turning into whines and quiet snuffles. 

“You’ve gotten real attached, huh?” Carol murmurs. “Me too.” She’d forgotten the anxiety that came with Daryl leaving. Disappearing on a run or to find the Governor or to recruit others. And now he’s gone to fight a war. She reminds herself it’s too early to worry. It hasn’t even been a full twenty-four hours yet and he said it could take him up to a day. Her anxiety is needless and not helpful. But it doesn’t stop the nausea or constant, dreadful thoughts. 

Carol walks the perimeter of the courtyard, speaking softly to Rose. By the third pass, Rose has fallen asleep-- head against Carol’s shoulder-- and Carol’s beginning to calm. She doesn’t return to her room though. Although she’s exhausted, she knows she’ll be awake all night, unable to sleep. Rose has a tendency to wake up when she’s put down anyway, and then it’ll start all over again. 

Carol hears on of the watchmen on duty call out and the gate opens. Daryl walks through, shoulders hunched and head hung. 

“Daryl? What happened? Are you okay?” She asks frantically. The anxiety she’s kept bottled up since he left is spilling out of her.

“Yeah. ‘M fine.” He’s clearly favoring his right side and walks like every step brings him immense pain. 

She doesn’t believe him for a moment.

Daryl sighs. “Got cut up on my back. Fell onto some metal. Nothin’ serious just hurts like a bitch.” 

“Come back to the room with me. I’ll clean you up… If you want me to.” She amends. Knows how sensitive he is about his scars. 

Daryl nods and lets her slowly guide him back to their room. He sits down on the bed with a wince. Carol puts the sleeping Rose in her bassinet and grabs medical supplies from the nightstand next to her bed. She sits behind Daryl on the bed and helps him out of his vest. 

“That’s what you’ve been keepin’ in there.” He says with a wince as she pulls his shredded shirt off his back.

“It’s for emergencies.” She opens the bottle of hydrogen peroxide and pours some onto a clean cloth. Daryl lets out a hiss and his fists tighten, when she dabs it onto the shallow cuts. “Sorry.”

“‘S’okay.” 

She’s trying to be as gentle as possible, touching each cut lightly, but she can see the tension in his body. There are new scars-- one’s she hadn’t seen at the Farm-- and her heart breaks for him. She has a feeling he’s faced more than he’s let on. 

“At least you don’t need stitches.” She says as she makes a final pass with the cloth. Carol slides off the bed and walks over to the dresser to grab a new shirt for Daryl. Hands it over to him and watches as he pulls it on with difficulty.

He yawns, exhaustion evident on every line of his body.

“You should sleep. Rose will be up in a few hours.” 

Daryl doesn’t even protest, just toes off his boots and lays down on his side. 

“Will ya… come to bed?” He asks quietly, holding out a hand. 

Carol slips out of her shoes and lays down next to him, her back against his chest. Daryl tucks his arm around her and presses his face into her hair. He holds her tightly, until his breathing evens out and his grip on her slowly loosens.  
***  
Carol wakes up to Rose crying. Again. She sighs and slowly inches out from underneath of Daryl’s arm, who’s still asleep.

“Alright baby, I’m up. What’s wrong love?” Carol picks up Rose out of her bassinet, who huffs and begins to root for a nipple.

“Someone’s hungry.” 

Carol sits down in the rocking chair she managed to finagle into her room. Pulls down her shirt and Rose latches onto her breast, suckling furiously.

She watches Daryl as Rose nurses. Any information she receives is filtered through multiple parties, so everything she hears is vague and hyperbolic, passed through too many mouths.   
Carol’s not quite sure what to believe. Negan’s atrocities are endless and horrifying-- and she has a feeling she sees the aftermath of some of them on Daryl-- but it’s hard to pick out what has, and is, actually happening from the overly dramatic fluff. She wants to ask Daryl but every time she’s tried to broach the subject he shies away. Her and Rose are his escape. He’s hidden them away the best he can. 

Carol wonders how long it will last. Until they too are pulled into all of this.

“Are you done Rose? Hmm?”Carol sets Rose on her shoulder and rights her shirt. She checks the clock-- breakfast is just about being served in the cafeteria. “Now that you’ve had breakfast, what about getting some for Daddy and I? How does that sound baby?” 

Rose lets out a happy little coo.  
***  
Daryl wakes up with his back aching. For a moment he’s back in the shack he holed up in with his daddy, fear and anxiety crackling along his spine. He has the overwhelming urge to hide before his father can take out more of his anger. The room is all wrong though, bigger than his first of all and has a bassinet in his line of sight. Remembers he’s in the Kingdom with Carol and his baby girl, and the old shack in Georgia is hundreds of miles away.

He sits up with a groan, wondering where Carol and Rosie went. Tries to banish away the slight panic he feels and reminds himself there’s a very good chance they went to grab breakfast or something. 

He stands up carefully and slowly gathers a fresh set of clothing. Feels like an old man. Blood and dirt from yesterday are still encrusted on his skin and as much as he fucking hates the communal showers at the Kingdom, he has to get clean. Wash off yesterday and the haunting feelings of his father. 

Thankfully it’s early enough that there’s no one at the showers yet and he can bathe in peace. He showers as quickly as possible, trying to get out before anyone else comes in. The warm water is soothing the ache in his back but stings the abrasions. 

He steps out of the shower carefully, trying his best not to slip on the tiles. Ain’t gonna be found naked and dead. Towels himself off, gently patting down his cuts, and grunts in pain as he puts on his clothes. 

Carol and Rose are in their room once he gets back. Carol’s holding a heaping plate of food in one hand and has the other holding Rose against her chest. 

“Sorry. I thought you’d sleep in more.” 

“Don’t gotta apologize. Figured you’d be gettin’ breakfast.” 

Daryl pulls up the blankets on the bed and takes Rose from Carol. They sit on the bed to eat, sharing the plate Carol grabbed. It’s one of Daryl’s favorite things. Spending the morning alone with Carol and Rose is eons better than eating in the cafeteria. Even if there’s no table and they have to eat on the bed.

He puts Rose in his lap, one hand on her stomach and chest to keep her upright and stable, and takes a bite of the waffles. Carol’s eating a strawberry obscenely-- licking the tip and sucking it into her mouth-- and when he catches her eye, she gives him and over-exaggerated wink. 

“Stop.” He can feel the blush rising on his cheeks. “Rose is right here. Who knows what she’ll pick up.”

Carol laughs and eats the rest of her strawberries normally. Secretly he’s pleased. As confusing and embarrassing as her teasing was, he’s always enjoyed it. Anything to get her to smile. 

He studies Rose as they eat, knowing babies more or less all look the same, but trying to see little bits of Carol in Rose. Their eyes are the same, blue and bright.

“What’re you thinking about?” Carol asks.

“Wonderin’ if Rosie’s gonna end up with freckles like you.” Daryl says.

“If she’s lucky she won’t.” 

“I like ‘em.” Carol’s freckles are Daryl’s favorite thing about her. Some day he’d like to map out each and every one with his fingers.

She blushes softly and looks pleased. “Thanks.”

They eat in silence, until Daryl clears his throat.

“Ya should come with me. Next time I go to Alexandria. Everyone would really like to see ya.” Rick brought it up yesterday, while on their mission. Daryl wonders if he feels guilty he threw out Carol, left her to the wolves. He fucking hope Rick does. Rick’s forgiven but Daryl won’t forget-- especially now he lost four months of his daughter’s life. 

Carol’s quiet for a moment. “Yeah. I’d like to see everyone too. Is it safe?”

Daryl shrugs. “Safe as anywhere.” Negan hasn’t gotten close enough to Alexandria to be a proper threat and at any moment he could easily turn his attention and wrath to the Kingdom or Hilltop. He’s less likely to strike the Kingdom or Hilltop, but the threat is still there.   
Carol smiles sadly at him. She picks up the now empty plate and leaves to return it. The ache in his back is beginning to return, a reminder of how hard he’s fighting. How hard he’s fighting to protect them. 

He holds Rosie to him tighter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Return next time for even more plot.
> 
> And I'm still taking prompts for this! Distract me from the plot I've created.


	4. A Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl, Carol, and Rose visit Alexandria.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: V heavy on the dialogue and not super domestically fluffy, but I should be posting a little ficlet later this week about these three on a picnic. I’ll leave a link to it when I finish.

Daryl pulls up to the gates of Alexandria and flashes his lights-- the signal that it’s him and not some rogue Saviors. Carol’s in the passenger seat, silent. She hasn’t spoken a word since they left the Kingdom. Spent the entire time looking out the window, lost in thought.

“You okay?” he asks, concerned. 

“I’m fine. It’s… weird, I guess. Never really thought I’d see everyone again.” 

Daryl nods. “I get it.”

Rosita pulls open the rusted iron gate and waves them in. 

“That’s Rosita. Met with her on the road.” Daryl says as he maneuvers the car into Alexandria.   
People here know about Carol. Bits and pieces mostly, always part of their past and their dead. Daryl’s suddenly very worried something’s gonna go wrong. 

“Maggie ain’t here-- she’s at Hilltop. But Michonne is. So’s Carl and Judith.” Stops abruptly realizing how short that list is. Out of everyone who lived with them at the Prison, only a handful of them are left. “Maggie’s gonna have a baby.” Daryl continues, hoping to distract from that depressingly short list.

“She is?” Carol asks.

“Yep. Gettin’ real big.” Everyone says she’s not having twins, but Daryl isn’t so sure. She’s huge and it’s either she’s having twins or she’s smuggling pumpkins. 

He parks the car on the side of the street and gets out of the car.

“You’ll have a playmate soon Rose,” Carol says as she removes Rose from her car seat. Rosie isn’t impressed-- brows furrowed and sucking on the ear of her rabbit. 

Rosita walks up to them. “Hey. I’m Rosita. You must be Carol.” 

“That’s me.” 

“And who’s this?” Rosita asks looking at Rosie. 

“This is Rose.” Carol smiles down at their daughter. 

“Oh, you’re cute. Hi Rose.” 

Rosie distrustfully stares at Rosita. Rosita looks between Rose and Daryl for a moment, a thoughtful expression on her face. 

“Huh. Well I have to go back to guard duty. Your baby is really cute Carol.” Rosita goes back to her spot by the gate. 

Daryl ushers Carol and Rose further into Alexandria, a hand on the small of Carol’s back. 

“Does she always look like that?” Carol asks.

“I guess,” Daryl says with a shrug.

Carol looks at him.

“What?”

“Nothing,” Carol says, shaking her head.

“There’s uh, kinda a thing,” Daryl says.

“A thing?”

“Yeah. Just… Rick told everyone yer around, and Michonne thought we should do somethin’.” 

“Like what?” 

“Just a little get together thing… I tried to talk ‘em out of it. But then Aaron and Eric got   
involved.”

Carol’s staring at him.

“Sorry.”

“It’s fine.” She presses a kiss against his cheek. 

“What’s that for?” he asks, a soft blush forming on his cheeks.

“I like you.”

“I like ya too.” Daryl leans down and presses the softest kiss against her lips. Carol sighs against his mouth and deepens the kiss.

“Daryl!” Aaron calls and jogs up to them.

Daryl pulls away from Carol. 

“Fuck,” he murmurs.

Carol’s lips are curved into a soft smile. 

“Hello,” she says when Aaron comes within earshot.

“Hey. I’m Aaron. Carol, right?”

“Yes.”

“It’s great to meet you. No one said you had a baby.” Aaron casts Daryl a disapproving glance.

“This is Rose.” 

“Hello Rose. You’re cute, aren’t you?” Aaron coos. 

Aaron leads them to his and Eric’s house where some of Alexandria has gathered. Michonne, Tara, Eric, Aaron, Carl, Judith. And Rick. Daryl can feel Carol tense when she sees him. Daryl runs a soothing hand down her back, hoping to soothe away some on the anxiety.

Carol gives him a small smile as everyone gathers to greet them.  
***  
They’re using this as a way to blow off steam. Carol gets it. Looking for an excuse to do something fun and unimportant while in the middle of something terrible is understandable. Besides a few people coming up to chat or ask her questions, they leave her alone. Rick hasn’t approached her once and she isn’t sure if she’s okay with that. Isn’t even really sure what she’d say if he decided to discuss what happened between them. Fuck you? I forgive you? 

Instead, she sits on the sofa in the living room, watching people pass around her. There are so few people she knows here. So many who were at the Prison have been lost, she can’t really believe it. 

Michonne took Rose off of her hands and is walking around the room with her. Rose likes her well enough-- at least she didn’t start crying when Michonne picked her up.

“She likes Michonne,” Daryl says.

Carol looks up at him, smiling. “She does.”

They watch Michonne bounce Rose across the room. Rose is completely enthralled with   
Michonne’s hair, tiny little fists wrapped in her dreads.

“She don’t get her hair pulled. Ain’t fair,” Daryl mutters and moves from behind Carol’s shoulder to sitting next to her on the couch. 

“Awww… Poor Daryl. You could always--”

“Let ya cut it. I know.” He squeezes her knee and Carol leans against him. He moves his arm and slides it around her waist.   
***  
Carol’s on the porch with Rose, trying to get Rose to sleep. She was too over-stimulated to fall asleep earlier, and now they’re paying the price. Rose is grumpy and fussing and all Carol wants is for her to go down for a nap. She’s been walking slow circles on the deck murmuring quietly to Rose, and nothing is working. 

Rose let’s out a little hiccuping sob as Carol tries to soothe her, bouncing her gently. The door opens behind her, and Carol turns hoping it’s Daryl. He’s better at getting Rosie to sleep than she is.

Rick steps out, closing the door quietly behind him. They stand and stare at one another, neither speaking. 

“May I?” Rick asks. Carol nods and he joins her where she’s standing against the railing. 

They stand in awkward silence, until Rick speaks. 

“I get it. Why you did it. I would too.”

“Now?”

“Yeah. Especially now.” He stops. Pauses. Looks at Rose who’s starting to nod off. Finally. “I didn’t know.”

“How could you? I didn’t either.” 

Rick reaches out and touches the top of Rose’s head gently. “If I’d known--”

Carol shakes her head, cutting him off. “It doesn’t matter. What’s done is done.” 

Rick nods and steps away. “I’m happy you’re here.”

“I am too.” 

Rick leaves, passing Daryl who’s going through the door. 

“You okay?” Daryl asks quietly.

“I’m fine.” She smiles, trying to reassure him. Carol feels better than she has in ages. Her and Rick aren’t back to where they once were, but they are no longer at odds. The rift between them has been healed somewhat. 

“Let me take Rosie. Go put her upstairs, think there’s a baby monitor somewhere.” Daryl carefully takes the sleeping Rose out of Carol’s arms and lays her head against his shoulder. 

“Ya gonna come in?” 

“Yeah. Give me a minute?” 

“Sure.” Daryl carries Rose back into the house leaving Carol with her thoughts.   
***  
Carol runs into Michonne and Judith in the kitchen. Daryl’s talking with Aaron about another recruitment run-- which Daryl told her about it great detail-- and she’s left to wander by around the house by herself. She hasn’t felt like an outsider with the group since the winter between the Farm and the Prison. But that’s what she is now. She once knew them, but not anymore.

“Do you remember Carol Judith? She used to take care of you when you were tiny like Rose.” Michonne tells Judith, who eyes Carol suspiciously.

Judith shakes her head and hides her face in Michonne’s shoulder. 

“How is it? Being back,” Michonne asks.

“It’s nice to see everyone again.”

“Especially Daryl?” Michonne teases.

“Maybe.” 

“He’s been happier the last few weeks than I’ve seen him… ever. It’s nice to see him not scowling constantly.”

Carol lets out a chuckle and Michonne begins to regale her with tales from the months Carol was gone. Has Carol almost in tears when Michonne relates the story of how they all thought one of the houses they stayed overnight was haunted, only for Daryl to find the culprits the next morning: two very amorous raccoons.

Carol’s wiping tears from her eyes when she realizes there’s one member of the Grimes family she hasn’t seen yet.

“Where’s Carl?” Carol asks.

“Upstairs sulking. He got into an argument with his girlfriend,” Michonne replies.

“Is he really that old already?”

“Yeah,” Michonne responds. 

“Shit.”

Carol thinks of Carl as a child. He’s closer to being a young adult than she remembers. Knows Rose will be there before she knows it and they late nights and diaper changings will be nothing but a memory. 

Daryl pokes his head in. “Should prolly go soon. Wanna get back before dark.”

“That’s fine. Let me grab Rose and we can go,” Carol answers. 

She says goodbye to Michonne and heads upstairs to grab Rose from the master bedroom. She passes the second bedroom on her way to get Rose and sees Carl on the floor, bouncing a ball.

“Hey Carl.” 

He looks up and Carol can see the damage done to his eye. It’s covered with a patch, but scar tissue is visible around the corners.

“Hi,” he mumbles and continues to bounce the ball. 

“How are you?” Carol asks. 

“Fine.”

“I’m sorry to hear about your girlfriend. Relationships are hard.” Carol leans against the doorframe, trying not to intrude in Carl’s space.

“It’s fine.” 

Carol knows pushing him will make him even more likely to shut down, so she turns to leave.

“Carol?” Carl says, “I checked in on Rose for you. She’s still sleeping.”

“Thanks Carl.”

He shrugs and is quiet for a moment. 

“Are you gonna come back?” Carl asks, “To live with us.”

“Maybe. When this is all over.”

Carl nods and turns away from her, conversation clearly over. 

She leaves the door cracked behind her. Carl’s grown up faster than she ever had to. Than she ever wanted him to. She hopes this war brings about something new. New and good. For Judith and Rose and Maggie’s baby.

Rose wakes up when Carol picks her up, but quickly falls asleep against Carol’s chest. She meets Daryl at the car, who takes Rose from her and buckles her into her car seat. 

Carol watches Alexandria grow smaller in the rearview mirror. Three months ago she could never have imagined this happening. Having Daryl and her family back and a safe place to raise Rose. Not even in her wildest fantasies did this every come up. 

But Negan hangs over them it, lingering in the back of her mind. Something will have to be done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Only Rick, and by extension Michonne and Carl, knows Rose is Daryl’s. Everyone else has theories-- in case anyone was wondering. I wrote this to answer a prompt and somehow managed not to answer that prompt. I will fulfill it though, just at a later date.   
> On that note, send me a prompt that I’ll somehow manage to leave out of the v thing that’s supposed to answer it!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
